I'm getting older, we still can't leave the house, and I just want some comfort food.

If I was a little kid I would say I'm 28 and three quarters, but I have reached the age where I'm saying, "oh I just turned 28" even though my birthday is in November. I know I am complaining about being 28, I get it. To all my mom's friends that make up the majority of my readers, I am sorry. However, I am single, live alone, and this morning I had a full out conversation with my cat...and then found my first grey hair ever. In a lot of ways, I see myself getting older mentally. I washed my car today and felt the need to text all my friends telling them I washed my car, like I had just ran a marathon. Afterwards, I needed to come inside to decompress. Yet, I kept walking outside to "check" on my car, to make sure I didn't miss any spots. I bought a SodaStream after years of deliberating whether or not it was an economical decision. After purchasing, I had to watch a YouTube video on how to work it and to convince myself that I shouldn't just "toss this darn thing." I have become fascinated by birds, which I think is really something that hits you 60 and after. It must be the stay at home orders. I swear.

In other ways I find myself mentally regressing. Netflix's new show Outer Banks lacks plot, has terrible acting, and is overall a poor remake of The Goonies but OMG John B is so dreamy that I cannot sleep at night. I haven't obsessed over a main character since Adam Brody on the OC. I want to print out posters of him and tack them to my wall. Meanwhile, my friends and I are sending each other links to Vans shoes in a group chat and I'm obsessed with Survivor.

Clearly the times are getting to me physically and mentally. Can someone just bring me to a rooftop bar ASAP so I can feel normal? I think we are all gravitating towards food right now, which is sad because our favorite restaurants and happy places are closed. I'm in no way saying that diets, regimens, and cleanses are bad (trust me), but I think the beauty within this mess is that so many of us are cooking at home again. We don't care about low carb or Keto diets. Guess what has a good shelf life? Rice, beans, pasta. We're having family dinners, focusing more on not wasting food, and putting our pantries to good use. If there is any benefit to this time, it's the rise of the home chef. Right now, food is our comfort, so why not make comfort food.

For me comfort food is twofold. Sure I love eating hearty home cooked meals, but I more so love cooking them for others. I have shared so many different meatball recipes on my blog whether it be buffalo chicken meatballs or asian style meatballs, but for some reason I have never shared classic Italian meatballs. It's funny because it is probably the recipe I make the most. I whole heartedly love making meatballs. If I have a bad day at work, I love getting my hands in a bowl of meat. Can you relate? The whole cooking process is comforting so I'm sharing with you my recipe for meatballs. It's not fancy. I think everyone has their own, but this is mine.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients together for the meatballs. Do not over mix, as it makes the meatballs tough. Form meatballs into 12 balls. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake in the oven until just browned for 10 minutes. While meatballs are baking, heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add in minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Add in tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Once meatballs are done baking, place into the sauce and then cover the pan. Cook for an additional 30 minutes or longer. For best results, cover and simmer for 2.5 hours. Serve with extra fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.